With the point guard situation in question for the Dallas Mavericks, could an under-the radar point guard be available on the market?
This offseason for the Dallas Mavericks, like many past offseasons, is filled with question marks. The Mavericks have very few players locked down and anything could happen. If nothing else, it’s fun for fans to speculate the endless roster possibilities when the season rolls back around.
One of the bigger question marks the Mavs are faced with this summer is what to do at the point guard spot. Some fans are desperately hoping for a Mike Conley signing while others want Mark Cuban to re-sign Deron Williams. However, there is one idea that hasn’t gained much traction that could possibly work out quite well.
A few years ago Brandon Jennings was one of the best point guards in the NBA, an elite scorer, and a rising star. He had successful stints with the Bucks and the Pistons, averaging 16.5 points per game in his first six seasons.
However, now his career is at an all-time low. He played in just 25 games for the Magic last year and averaged just 7 ppg while trying to recover from a devastating Achilles injury. Now he is set to be a free agent, and it’s not likely that Orlando will re-sign him after his disappointing season, and he won’t have much demand on the free agent market.
This could be a great opportunity for any team willing to take a chance on Jennings. If he could fully recover from his injury and return to his old self, he would be a heck of a steal for whoever was wise enough to swoop in and grab him.
Cue Mark Cuban.
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Should the Mavericks not be able to lure Mike Conley and not want to pay Deron Williams, Jennings would be great idea. He could come to Dallas and continue to rehab and recover until he felt completely ready to be on the floor again, and perhaps mid-season or so work his way into the rotation. Until then, Dallas is stocked with great back-up point guards in JJ Barea, Devin Harris, and (hopefully) Raymond Felton.
This plan works best with Felton in the lineup. He could play the role of starting point guard exceptionally well, as he did many times last season, therefore taking the pressure off of Jennings to rush the recovery process.
There is no guarantee that Jennings will ever return to the level he was playing at in the early part of his career. However, there is also a chance that he will, and the Mavs would have finally found an elite point guard to lead Rick Carlisle‘s offense. In my opinion, the reward far outweighs the risk with Brandon Jennings.